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If you’re a busy mom who would still rather feed her kids
something homemade than frozen, you know how hard can it be to whip up
something every day. However, with meal planning, you can figure out what
you’re going to eat (roughly) throughout the week, and just follow the schedule
when it’s time to cook. This seems like a lot of planning, but once you get a
hang of it and learn all the ingredients you need by heart (makes shopping very
fast) you will enjoy this method a lot. Here’s how to do it:
Start slow
You might be eager to start meal planning for the entire week, but
in the beginning, this can equal a lot of wasted food. Instead, start slow and
go for four or five days tops. For instance, start by planning meals for
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (it’s always easier on the
weekends because you have more time to cook). As you get more familiar with the
process, add one more day and so on.
Be smart with shopping
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Shopping for five, six or seven days' worth of meals can be
very intimidating, but if you do it right, you can finish it even faster than
your regular shopping. Before you even start writing down your meal plan for the upcoming days, take a look
at your fridge and pantry and see what you’re working with. By incorporating
things you already have at home, you will not only narrow down the vast number
of meals to choose from but also save up some money and make your shopping
easier.
Get some help
Some days are especially hectic and you know you won’t be
able to cook that day, and that’s A-OK. Instead of stressing and giving up on
your meal planning, you can simply skip the day and opt for chef
prepared meals that will arrive at your address. For instance, if
you figure out on Monday that you’ll be super busy on Wednesday, just order
some frozen food prepared by top chefs, and enjoy with your family without any
stress. Toss your frozen meals in the microwave when you get home and enjoy.
This way, you’ll still have quality food instead of junk food, all that without
any work. Meal planning only works when you’re flexible!
Create a list of backup meals
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Sometimes, things just don’t go your way, and that’s normal
for this time and age, especially if you’re a working mom. Instead of relying
on McDonald’s, it’s still better to whip up something at home, no matter how
fast and simple. This is where your backup meals come into play. These are easy
and fast meals that can replace your originally-planned meals. For instance, if
you had to stay longer at work, instead of making spaghetti and meatballs, you can turn
to leftover steak salad. Or instead of making steamed salmon, you can make a
tuna wrap.
Collect the best recipes
Meal planning is most successful when
you can experiment with meals and enjoy a variety of tasty dinner recipes, but if you get stuck
with your Friday dinner or Saturday breakfast, it’s best to have a list of
meals you know work for you and your family. Start by writing down everyone’s
favorite meals, then add a few meals that are easy, fast and cheap to make, and
finish with a list of several side dishes you can rotate. This “go-to” list
will fill out any holes in your meal planning menu so you don’t waste too much
time figuring everything out.
These tips will help any working mother adjust to meal
planning quickly and smoothly. Once you get the hang of it, it will take you
about 15 minutes to plan your weekly menu and just a little over to do your
shopping. You will bless your family and yourself with tasty and healthy meals
and start to love cooking once again!
